Earth working machine with depth control



y 1966 HQA. LOWTHER ET L 3,261,409

EARTH WORKING MACHINE WITH DEPTH CONTROL Filed March 2, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS #4 NY A. L awn/[k 5 BY NA 4 m A. 1 57560 y 1966 H. A. LOWTHER EI'AL 3,261,409

EARTH WORKING MACHINE WITH DEPTH CONTROL Filed March 2, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet z INVENTORS max A2 our/4E2 a y 4444 75?- 1e. PHMSON y 19, 1966 H. A. LOWTHER F-TAL 3,261,409

EARTH WORKING MACHINE WITH DEPTH CONTROL Filed March 2. 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 July 19, 1966 aw- ETAL EARTH wdnxme mea E WITH DEPTH cou aoL Filed March 2, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet L INVENTORS HAMYA. AMI/MM BY M44 7f? 4. PERM/V United States Patent 3,261,409 EARTH WORKING MACHINE WITH DEPTH CONTROL Harry A. Lowther, Wayne, and Walter R. Peterson,

Plainfield, Ill., assignors to Beloit Corporation, Beloit,

Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Mar. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 348,648 16 Claims. (Cl. 172-326) This invention relates to drawn ground working implements, and more particularly to a means for operatively coupling a propelling vehicle with a drawn mobile frame adapted for the mounting of ground working implements thereon.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel means for coupling a propelling vehicle to a drawn mobile frame adapted for the mounting of ground working implements thereon. a

-It is another object of this invention to provide novel means for controlling the penetration of ground working implements into the ground.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel means for controlling the relative position with the ground of earth working implements mounted on a mobile frame drawn by a propelling vehicle.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel means for the vertical adjustment of the attitude of a tractor drawn mobile frame relative to a horizontal reference plane.

A still further object of this invention is to provide novel means for raising and lowering a drawn mobile frame relative to a propelling vehicle.

A still further object of this invention is to provide novel means for controlling the working depth of drawn earth working implements.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent with the following description and drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view illustrating one embodiment of this invention;

FIGURES 2 and 3 are elevational views for illustrated details of the component incorporated in the embodiment of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective View of a portion of the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1;

FIIGURES 5 and 6 are elevational views illustrating controlled positions of the embodiment of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 7 is a portional view in elevation illustrating an embodiment of a component adapted for use with this invention.

:Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 designates a propelling vehicle such as a conventional tractor, provided with crawler tracks or traction wheels, which is adapted to draw a mobile frame having normally mounted thereon various earth working implements. In the particular form shown in the drawings, the mobile frame is equipped as a dire line plow typical of those commercially available from the Rome Plow Company, Rome, Georgia. Accordingly, as shown on the drawings, the mobile frame 2 has mounted thereon a coulter 3, a plow 4, trench broadening discs or Wheels 5, and ground riding gauging shoes or skids 6 which straddle the trench formed by the device.

For coupling of the units, the vehicle 1 has securely rfixed thereon a drawbar 7 which pivotally mounts on it a pivot 8 and a hitch 9 for swinging movement about a vertical axis relative to the vehicle. In accordance with one aspect of this invention the hitch comprises a pair of spaced vertical plates 10 each provided with a plurality of vertically spaced apertures 11. In order to adapt the Patented July 19, 1966 unit for an increased scope of selection in the attitude of the mobile frame 2 and the accompanying earth working depth of the implements carried thereon, the apertures 11 are spaced on side plates 10 so as to provide by mere manipulation an increased number of mounting positions for the frame 2. In this regard the pivotal mounting of the hitch to the drawbar is effected by means of the detachable pivot 8 which in the simplest forms may comprise a nut and bolt arrangement so as to provide for vertical reversibility of the hitch 9. Increased selectivity for the mounting of the drawn frame to the hitch is accomplished by means of a special arrangement of the apertures 11 in the side plates 10 of hitch 9. More specifically by reference to FIGURES 2 and 3 and with reference to apertures 11 and 11a, these apertures are vertically spaced eccentrically relative to an effective axis of rotation c of the hitch 9 during vertical inversion so as to thereby alter the relative position of the apertures with regard to the vehicle. For example, with reference to FIGURE 2, the topmost aperture 11, of side plates of hitch plates 10, is spaced from the reference line 0 (also forming the axis of rotation for the hitch inversion) a distance a which is different than and in this respect greater than distance b of the spacing between the reference line 0 and the bottom or lowermost aperture 11a. Thus in the simplest form where the hitch 9 is symmetrical, the lowermost aperture 11a will be spaced from the bottom of the hitch plate a distance greater than the distance of the uppermost aperture 11 from the top of the hitch plate. Accordingly, with this arrangement of apertures the hitch, when unpinned from drawbar 7 and vertically inverted, will provide a different relative arrangement of apertures wherein the now lowermost aperture 11 is spaced a distance a below the reference line 0 and different than, in this respect greater than the distance b of the aperture 11a now above the reference line 0. Thus as can be seen, this arrangement of only two holes provides a selection of four positions for the mounting of the mobile frame 2, by the mere inversion of the hitch.

Referring back to the mobile frame, a lever link 20, for adjustment of the earth penetration by the implement, is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends about a pivot pin 21 to the front of the mobile frame 2 with one end or outer leg 22 thereof projecting forwardly of the frame 2. A pin 23 pivotally mounts the outer leg 22 of the link, adjacent its end, to a preselected aperture 11 of hitch 9 for the desire-d range of adjustability. Preferably, as shown in FIGURE 1, the lever link 20 is provided with an upwardly extending projection 24 at which the lever link is pivotally mounted to the frame 2 for swinging movement in a vertical plane about a horizontal axis.

In order to limit the downward swinging or rocking movement of the inner-leg 25 of the lever link 20, a limit stop 26 is suitably secured, as by welding, to frame 2 at a position so that it abuts against the downward swinging link inner-leg 25.

Also included in the unit is an upwardly extending lift bar 30 which is mounted adjacent the bottom thereof near the rear of the mobile frame 2 about a pivot 31. In this manner the lever bar 30 is adapted to swing in a vertical plane fore and aft of frame 2 about its pivot 31, with the forward movement of the lever bar 30 limited to a forward position by a stop 32 which is rigidly secured, in any manner as by welding or attachment, to the frame 2 in a position so that it abuts and therefore arrests the swing of the lever bar at this forward position.

The desired swinging movement of the lever link 20 and the lift bar 30 is effected by the extensibility and retractability of a double acting hydraulic cylinder-piston unit 35. This cylinder-piston unit 35 is pivotally mounted at one end about a horizontal pivot 36 to a bracket link 37 provided on lever bar 30 adjacent its top or upper end. The other end of the cylinder-piston unit 35 is pivotally mounted about a horizontal pivot 38 to the inner leg 25 of lever link adjacent the inner-most end thereof. In this regard it is pointed out that it is essential for purposes of this invention that the selection of the hydraulic cylinder-piston unit be such that the cylinder-piston unit is adapted at an intermediate point of travel, between its limits of extension and retraction to abut the inner-leg of lever link 20 and the lift-bar against, respectively, the stops 26 and 32. In other words, the cylinder-piston unit will have the ability to further retract or extend when the lever link 20 and liftbar 30 are positioned against their respective stops. It is also noted that in a preferred embodiment of the lever link 20, as shown in FIGURE 1, the provision of the upwardly extending projection 24, for pivotal mounting to frame 2, will position the pivotal mounting 21 in upwardly spaced or offset position from the alignment of pivots 23 and 38 operatively connecting with, respectively, hitch 9 and cylinder-piston unit 35.

Rearward swinging movement of lift-bar 30 to a rear position, as shown in FIGURE 6, which is angularly spaced from the forward position of the lift-bar, as shown in FIGURE 1, is limited by means of an elongated connection, such as a fiexible chain 41, secured to and extending between lift-bar 3t) and the tractor body 42; and which normally in operation of the unit will be slack but which will be drawn taut upon swinging movement of lever bar 30 from stop 32 to its rear position.

In operation, in order to obtain the maximum earth penetration of the ground working implements mounted on frame 2, the hydraulic cylinder-piston unit is positioned at an intermediate point of its limits of extensibility and retractability to abut the inner-leg 25 of lever link 20 against stop 26 and to abut the lever 39 in its forward position in abutment against its respective stop 32. In this position the implements will penetrate the earth at a depth corresponding to their preselected mounting to frame 2. However, to reduce the depth of earth penetration of the implements, the hydraulic cylinder-piston unit is retracted; and, as can be seen, since the lever bar 36 is held in its forward position against forward swinging movement by its stop 32, the retraction of cylinder-piston unit will swing the inner-leg 25 of lever link 20 upwardly about pivot 21 to thus effectively cause a change in the attitude of frame 2 relative to the ground so as to place the coulter 3 and plow 4 at an elevated position relative to the ground riding shoe 6 thereby effecting a reduced penetration of the ground working tools into the earth. The minimum penetration position of the unit is shown in FIGURE 5 wherein the coulter and plow are skimming the ground and the discs 5 are slightly penetrating with the gauging shoes riding the ground.

FIGURE 6 illustrates a transport position of the vehicle which is effected by extension of the hydraulic cylinder-piston unit 35. As can be seen in FIGURE 6, with the stop 26 blocking downward swinging of the lever link inner-leg 25, the extension of the hydraulic cylinder-piston unit '35 will swing the lever bar 30 rearwardly of the mobile frame 2. However, since the flexible chain 41 limits the rearward movement of lever bar 30 under extension of the cylinder-piston unit 35, further extension of the cylinder-piston unit 35 will force the frame 2 to swing upwardly on pivot pin 23, which forms the attachment between lever link 29 and hitch 9. It is noted that this arrangement in effect forms a quadrangular leverage system with the frame 2, lever link 20 and hitch 9, together with the chain 41 forming, respectively, bottom and top members, and with the vehicle 1 and lever bar 30 forming the side members. As will be appreciated since the lever link 20 is forced and fixedly held against stop 26 of frame 2 by the extension of the cylinder-piston 35, the two elements form a rigid structure with movement of the quadrangular leverage system effected by means of extension and retraction of the cylinder-piston unit 35. Thus as will be noted the force of extension of cylinder-piston unit 35 between the lever link 20 and lever bar 30 will prevent any rotary movement or bending of frame 2, about its pivot 21 relative to the lever link 24 during elevation of the frame 2 to its transport position as shown in FIGURE 6. In this manner as will be appreciated, a single hydraulic circuit in conjunction with a novel hitch design provides fine depth adjustment with a quick raise of the mobile frame when desired, as for example to clear a stump, followed by a quick drop that is available after the stump is passed. It will also be understood that various intermediate positions of the frame can be obtained by appropriate adjustment of the hydraulic cylinder-piston unit.

FIGURE 7 illustrates a modified form of the lever link described above, utilizing in place thereof a bell crank 26 with other related parts corresponding to the preceding embodiment identified by similar numbers primed. In this manner the bell crank 20' has an upwardly extending bight 50 which is pivotally mounted about pin 21 to frame 2. The outer-leg 22' projects forwardly of frame 2 and is pivotally mounted about pin 23 to hitch 9. Also the inner-leg 25' of the bell crank is pivotally mounted to one end of the hydraulic cylinder-piston unit 35, and has its downward swinging movement limited by a stop 26 fixedly secure-d to frame 2. Also, since the pivotal mounting of the bell crank 20' is provided at its upwardly disposed bight 50, the position of this pivot is also upwardly spaced in off-set relationship from the alignment of pivots 23 and 38 (of the bell crank) with, respectively, the hitch 9 and the cylinder-piston unit 35, and thus the actuation of the bell crank 20 will be similar to and correspond in all respects with that of the previous desired lever link 20 provided, in its preferred form, with the upward projection 24 for pivotal mounting with the mobile frame 2.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific materials, embodiments and details, various modifications and changes, within the scope of this invention, will be apparent to one skilled in the art and are contemplated to be embraced Within the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An earth working machine comprising a propelling Vehicle; a drawn mobile frame for mounting earth working implements thereon; coupling means mounted on said vehicle for operative connection to said frame; an elongated lever link means pivotally mounted intermediate its ends to said frame about a horizontal axis transverse to said frame with said lever link means having one end projecting forwardly of said frame; connecting means for pivotally attaching the said one end of said lever link means to said coupling means for swinging.

movement about a horizontal axis; an upwardly extending lift bar pivotally mounted at the bottom end thereof to said frame for a swinging movement fore and aft of said frame about a horizontal axis; extensible and retractable power means having one end pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis to said lift bar adjacent the top end thereof and with the other end of said power means pivotally mounted to the other end of said lever link means; first stop means on said frame engageable with the said other end of said lever link means for limiting downward swinging movement thereof with said lever link means being adapted for upward swinging movement of its said other end upon retraction of said power means; second stop means on said frame engageable with said lift bar for limiting forward swinging movement thereof at a forward position with said lift bar being adapted for swinging rearward movement to a rear position angularly spaced from said forward position upon extension of said power means; and an elongated third stop means connecting the top end of said lift bar to said vehicle for limiting swinging movement of said lift bar to its said rear position.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said third stop means comprises a flexible element.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said power means is adapted at an intermediate point of travel between its limits of extension and retraction to abut said lever link means and said lift bar against, respectively, said first stop means and said second stop means.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said third stop means comprises a flexible element.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein said lever link means includes an upwardly extending projection for the said pivotal mounting of said lever link means to said frame.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein said third stop means comprises a flexible element.

7. The structure of claim 5 wherein said power means is adapted at an intermediate point of travel between its limits of extension and retraction to abut said lever link means and said lift bar means against, respectively, said first stop means and said second stop means.

8. The structure of claim 7 wherein said third stop means comprises a flexible element.

9. An earth Working machine comprising a propelling vehicle; drawn mobile frame for mounting earth working implements thereon; coupling means mounted on said vehicle for operative connection to said frame; a bell crank link means having an upwardly disposed bight pivotally mounted to said frame about a horizontal axis transverse to said frame with the outer leg of said bell crank projecting forwardly of said frame; connecting means for pivot-ally attaching the said outer leg adjacent the end thereof to said coupling means for swinging movement about a horizontal axis; an upwardly extending lift bar pivotally mounted at the bottom thereof to said frame for a swinging movement fore and aft of said frame about a horizontal axis; extensible and retractable controllable power means having one end pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis to said lift bar adjacent the top end thereof with the other end of said power means pivotally mounted to the inner leg of said bell crank adjacent the end thereof; first stop means on said frame engageable with the said inner leg of said bell crank for limiting downward swinging movement thereof with said ibell crank being adapted for upward swinging movement of its inner leg upon retraction of said power means; second stop means on said frame engageable with said lift bar for limiting forward swinging movement thereof to a forward position with said lift bar being adapted for swinging movement to a rear position angularly spaced from said forward position upon extension of said power means; and third stop means connecting the top end of said lift bar to said vehicle for limiting swinging movement of said lift bar to its said rear position.

10. The structure of claim 9 wherein said third stop means comprises a flexible element.

11. The structure of claim 9 wherein said power means is adapted at an intermediate point of travel between its limits of extension and retraction to abut said inner leg of said bell crank and said lift bar against, respectively, said first stop means and said second stop means.

12. The structure of claim 11 wherein said third stop means comprises a flexible element.

13. The structure of claim 11 wherein said coupling means comprises a vertically reversible hitch means; detachable pivot means pivotally connecting said hitch means to the rear of said vehicle for swinging movement about a vertical axis; said hitch means including at least two vertically spaced mounting means for connecting said hitch means to the said one end of said lever link means with the lowermost mounting means :being spaced from the bottom of said hitch means a distance greater than the distance of the uppermost mounting means from the top of said hitch means so that the uppermost mounting means upon inversion of said hitch means is located at a position relative to said vehicle different than the position of the lowermost mounting means prior to said inversion.

14. The structure of claim 13 wherein said third stop means comprises a flexible element and said lever link means includes an upwardly extending projection for the said pivotal mounting of said lever link means to said frame.

15. The structure of claim 13 wherein said hitch means includes a pair of vertically disposed side plates, and wherein said mounting means comprises a plurality of vertically spaced apertures in each of said plates with the apertures in one plate being aligned with corresponding apertures in the other of said plates.

16. The structure of claim 15 wherein said third stop means comprises a flexible element and wherein said lever link means includes an upwardly extending projection for the said pivotal mounting of said lever link means to said frame.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,429,552 10/ 1947 Hyland et al 172-463 2,482,456 9/1949 Black 37-98 2,654,613 10/1953 Blair et al. 280490 X 2,764,075 9/1956 Fowler 172-328 X 2,847,232 8/1958 Graham 280-490 FOREIGN PATENTS 502,927 5/1951 Belgium.

273,124 6/1927 Great Britain.

498,604 1/1939 Great Britain.

799,987 8/1958 Great Britain.

ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner.

F. B. HENRY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN EARTH WORKING MACHINE COMPRISING A PROPELLING VEHICLE; A DRAWN MOBILE FRAME FOR MOUNTING EARTH WORKING ELEMENTS THEREON; COUPLING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID VEHICLE FOR OPERATIVE CONNECTION TO SAID FRAME; AN ELONGATED LEVER LINK MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS TO SAID FRAME ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS TRANSVERSE TO SAID FRAME WITH SAID LEVER LINK MEANS HAVING ONE END PROJECTING FORWARDLY OF SAID FRAME; CONNECTING MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY ATTACHING THE SAID ONE END OF SAID LEVER LINK MEANS TO SAID COUPLING MEANS FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS; AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING LIFT BAR PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT THE BOTTOM END THEREOF TO SAID FRAME FOR A SWINGING MOVEMENT FORE AND AFT OF SAID FRAME ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS; EXTENSIBLE AND RETRACTABLE POWER MEANS HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS TO SAID LIFT BAR ADJACENT THE TOP END THEREOF AND WITH THE OTHER END OF SAID POWER MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID LEVER LINK MEANS; FIRST STOP MEANS ON SAID FRAME ENGAGEABLE WITH THE SAID OTHER END OF SAID LEVER LINK MEANS FOR LIMITING DOWNWARD SWINGING MOVEMENT THEREOF WITH SAID LEVER LINK MEANS BEING ADAPTED FOR UPWARD SWINGING MOVEMENT OF ITS SAID OTHER END UPON RETRACTION OF SAID POWER MEANS; SECOND STOP MEANS ON SAID FRAME ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID LIFT BAR FOR LIMITING FORWARD SWINGING MOVEMENT THEREOF AT A FORWARD POSITION WITH SAID LIFT BAR BEING ADAPTED FOR SWINGING REARWARD MOVEMENT TO A REAR POSITION ANGULARLY SPACED FROM SAID FORWARD POSITION UPON EXTENSION OF SAID POWER MEANS; AND AN ELONGATED THIRD STOP MEANS CONNECTING THE TOP END OF SAID LIFT BAR TO SAID VEHICLE FOR LIMITING SWINGING MOVEMENT OF SAID LIFT BAR TO ITS SAID REAR POSITION. 